Many in Europe underestimate the threat by Russia, Merz says in Singapore: “I dare to say that developed societies tend to deny real threats for their way of life. This is actually true in Europe toward the threat to Russia. And I’m trying again and again in my speeches … to convince people that this is not just territory, but that this is really the effort to undermine the complete model of how our society lives. This is obviously the biggest weakness of developed societies, that they are not willing to accept that there are big threats at the horizon. Not just for their business but for their way of life, for their freedom. And this is something that I try to talk about and which I try to convince my voters and those who are listening to me, that this is something we must not underestimate for our future.“